


My Hero!

by S0S0



Series: Of Tigers and Bunnies [5]
Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Fluff and Humor, M/M, Protectiveness, for he is too precious for this world, protecc him, protecc the tig
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 06:29:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18845530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S0S0/pseuds/S0S0
Summary: Okay, alright. Social media has even pointed it out at this point. Barnaby will admit it.He can be a little protective of Kotetsu.Maybe even unreasonably.





	My Hero!

Okay, _alright._ Social media has even pointed it out at this point. Barnaby will _admit it._

He can be a _little_ protective of Kotetsu.

Maybe even _unreasonably._

People have noticed that it stretches _beyond_ HeroTV broadcasts. The extent of it was supposed to be those moments where Wild Tiger is caught, shielded, or yanked out of harm’s way by last season’s King of Heroes. Some of those times fans found unnecessary, and Kotetsu agrees with them completely. The old man can handle it! is something that is yelled at him with banging pots and pans and all. Even Agnes, although she appreciates how heartwarming it is for the viewers, complained.

But, now it’s gone _beyond_ that.

_Allegedly._

There is this big list of gifs where they’re in public somewhere. Whether it be at a fan meet-up in the park or at a party, he’s _unconsciously_ doing something to actively protect his partner. They’re subtle but fast enough that they shouldn’t be noticeable, unless there’s some who’s overly observant like Origami Cyclone or maybe Fire Emblem…

Now Barnaby is a little suspicious of _who_ is behind this article.

There’s one gif, played again in _slow mo even,_ where they’re at a sponsor party. A guest comes up to side-hug Kotetsu, but before he could, Barnaby has an arm around his partner, a hand covering where this “perpetrator” would reach, and shifts him out of harm’s way a little. Then the blonde greets the guy first, because _if you want to get to him, you have to go through me._  

Another party, but Sky High is the “villain” this time. He raises a hand to either high five _or something,_ it doesn’t even matter _what_ he was planning on doing. Barnaby already shifted half in front of the veteran hero. It’s so quick that no one notices what’s _really_ going on, and the missed social cue is forgotten if not completely unacknowledged.

Another one where they’re at a fan meet-up. Someone reaches for Kotetsu, who is distracted by a text on his cellphone, and Barnaby turns that into a handshake before the older hero even notices whatever is going on.

So on and so forth. All down the page, collected by some obsessive fan. It took him a few minutes to scroll down to the end of it, but even _that_ wasn’t enough. The comment section provided even _more_ examples alongside questions or how endearing they thought it was.

When the blonde scrolls back up, he sees the little message he had missed:

_Dear Barnaby,_

_Although we appreciate heroic efforts such as yours, we promise that we will_ _not_ _harm Kotetsu in any way!_

_Love,_

_The people of Sternbild_

“How embarrassing…” The blonde mumbles and closes his laptop for the night.

As far as he knows, Kotetsu has not noticed _this_ social protection. The way that his brain functions, this kind of thing could go completely unnoticed by him, so maybe it isn’t _terribly_ embarrassing. But really? Why is he unnecessarily protecting him? He looks more like a bodyguard to an oblivious goof prone to danger than this man’s partner.

Maybe it started after Maverick and the older man’s powers being in decline. He’ll admit, he feels like he has to do a little more because of this. And with Kotetsu’s natural need to be reckless, as well as experiences he’s gone through, there’s this instinct that kicks in _out of nowhere._ Ninety-percent of the “evidence” shared, Barnaby doesn’t even remember doing.

But there’s this small sense of stupid, unnecessary relief.

Barnaby’s cell phone rings-

“Hello?”

_“Jesus Christ, Barnaby! Thank G-d you answered!”_

The younger hero sits up in his uncomfortable chair, ready to run out of his apartment. “What’s wrong?”

_“It’s so terrible, I can’t-”_

“What’s going on!?”

 _“I’m walking in public right now and…”_ He shakily sighed. _“I’m so scared, Bunny.”_

“Where are you? What’s happening?” _I’ll come and get you._

 _“I could be touched o-or interacted with in some way and...and you’re not here to protect me from..._ them.” He then hissed into the phone, _“The public!”_

“I’m hanging up.”

Kotetsu is snickering into the phone like the little goon that he is. _“Wait! Don’t!”_

“Why?”

_“Look, I saw the stupid post. I never even noticed that you did those things.”_

“And?” Barnaby’s face felt like it was on fire. All he wanted to do was hang up and hide in the shower for a little bit.

_“It just reminded me about how you’ve always been my hero.”_

**Author's Note:**

> i don't know why i thought about this or even thought to write about it but uh...it's here.


End file.
